UN Secretary-General Urges Iran to Improve Human Rights

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Iran to do more to improve its human rights situation.

In
a report submitted to the U.N. General Assembly Monday, the
secretary-general said Iran has made some progress on reducing
discrimination against women and minorities, but still needs to do more
to meet international human rights standards.

The report says
Mr. Ban is concerned about a growing crackdown on the women's rights
movement, and he said gender-based violence is "widespread."

He also said that there has been a recent surge in executions, even though Tehran has been revising its death penalty policies.

He
praised some positive steps that the Islamic Republic has taken to
change laws that discriminate against women, but said Iran needs to try
harder to protect the rights of religious and ethnic minorities,
including members of the Bahai faith.

Bahai groups say hundreds
of the faith's followers have been jailed or executed in the Islamic
Republic. Iran's clerical authorities consider the Bahai religion a
heretical offshoot of Islam.

The Bahai faith was founded in
Iran in the 19th century. Its adherents believe its founder was the
latest in a long line of prophets including Jesus, Muhammad and the
Buddha.